Art of canning



Noi. 13, 1934. A, K. MALMQUIST 1,980,417

ART OF CNNINGl Original Fil-ed Aug. 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l 7'0 YACUMV PUMP Nov. 13, 1934. A. K. MALMQUlsT 1,980,417

ART OF CANNING original Fiied Aug. 2, 1927 s sheets-sheet .2

Nov. 13, 1934.` I lA K MALMQUlsT 1,980,417

ART 0F CANNING Original Filed Aug. 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 :Vilk

Inventor Patented Nov. 13, v1934 UNITED STATES 1,989,417 Aa'r or cANNiNG Adolph x. Malmquist, south nolliugham, Wash.,

' assigner to American Can Company, New York,

N. Y., a corporation o1' New Jersey original application August 2, 1927, serial No. 210,127. Divided and this application January 4, 1930, serial 1go. 418,588

3Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of canning. and more particularly to the canning of materials including liquid, in vacuum, especially when liquids are introduced into cans which contain solid food, and the present application is a division of my application Serial No. 210,127, filed August 2nd, 1927, issued as Patent No. 1,751,642 of March 25, 1930.

An object of the invention is the provision o 1 a method of vacuum lling a container with a liquid auch as syrup while the outer surface of the container is exposed to atmospheric pressure and the open end of the container lsealed against atmosphereand utilizing the atmospheric pressure upon its outer surface to bodily press the container against said seal, thereby also raising a liquid-admitting seal and incidentally indicating a suiiicient degree of vacuum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of vacuumizing containers, nlled or partially illled with porous solids such as sliced fruit, and while drawing the air from such container and from the pores and interstices of the solid contents, causing a liquid such as a syrup to flow into the container to take the place of the exhausted air, the while also withdrawing the air from saidliquid and restraining any solid food particles from leaving said container.

With these and other objects in view, the 'invention consists'in certain novel features as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating an embodiment of an apparatus which may be' used in practising my method, the parts being in the positions which theyassume prior to the operation of filling a can;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view with the parts in lthe positions which they assumewhen the apparatus is in operation to ll a can;

Figure 4 is a. horizontal sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the screen andthe ring which carries it;

Figures 'I and 8 are detail views of the spacing member through which the suction tube passes;

Figures 9 and 10 are views of the suction tube 5o and valve seat, and g Figures 11`- and 12 are detail views of the valve controlling communication between the syrup chamber and a can.

As shown in the drawings, a suitable 'machin 55 for use in carrying out my method may comprise Y a framework indicated at 1 and upon this framework, a container 2 and a tank 3 (having a drain outlet 3*) are located in spaced relation'to each other,-said container and tank beingy rigidly .Y secured to the framework by means of fastening devices indicated at 4. A valve is provided for the bottom of the container ashereinafter explained. I prefer to make the lower portion of the container 2, tapering in form as at 5 and the wall of this tapering portion of the container is provided with a comparatively large opening 6. With this opening, the larger end of a tapering neck 7 communicates, the smaller end of the latter being connected with the casing 8 of a valve 9 and this valve casing' also communi- 79 cates with an outlet port or opening 10 in the tank 3. The tank 3 is supplied withliquid (syrup for example) through a. pipe 11 from a suitable s ource of supply, suchfas a. large tank or reservoir (not shown) preferably located on a. higher level, and in this pipe, a valve 12 is provided to control the flow of syrupto the tank 3.

It is apparent that if the tank 3 contained syrup approximately to the level indicated by the line :c in Figure 1 and the valve 9 is open,.syrup will flow 30 from the tank 3 to the container 2 and approximatelyll the lower tapering portion of the latter.- As a matter of fact, the valve 9 would be kept open until the syrup in the tank 3 and in the tapering lower portion of the container 2 reaches 85 approximately the level indicated by the line y in Figure 1. The proportions of the tapering lower portion of the container 2 are such that it willA contain somewhat more than suflicient syrup to iill one can.

The container 2 is provided on its top with a cover 13 suitably secured and packed to provide an air tight closure. A T-shaped pipe fitting 14 is connected with a nipple 15 on the cover 13 and thereby communicates with the chamber 16 95 formed by the upper portion of the container 2. The branch 1'7 of said pipe tting is connected through a valve 18 and suitable pipe connections 19 with a Vvacuum pump or tank not shown. 'I'he other branch 20 of said pipe ttingis provided 100 with a vacuum relief valve 21. A vacuum gage 22 is connected by a suitable pipe 23 and through the cover 13 with the chamber 16 in the container 2. At or near the juncture of the upper portion of the container 2 with the lower tapering portion 105 thereof, a spider 24 is located and may comprise four members integral with the walls of said container. 'I'he central portion of this spider is provided with an opening for the passage of a suction tube 25 which extends to the lower en d of 110 the tapering portion of container2 where it is provided with a foot 26 having an annular groove 27 containing a valve seat-28 of rubber or other suitable material. A sleeve or spacing member 29 is located between the central portion of the spider 24 -and the foot 26 at the lower end of the vacuum tube 25, said sleeve having. a plurality of vertical ribs 30 which overlie the valve seat 28 and the spaces 31 between the ribs 30 afford channels i'or the passage of liquid. The suction tube 25 passes through the sleeve 29 and extends upwardly above .the spider 24, its upper portion being threaded for the reception of a nut 32.

The lower portion orv base'33 'of the container 2 is provided with a recess 34 in which the peripheral portion of a ring 35 of rubber or other ilexible material is located. The bottom of the recess 34 is formed by the framework 1 and the upper wall of said recess is beveled or flared as indicated at 36 so that the inner portion of said ring will be permitted to move upwardly. The ring 35 constitutes a flexible carrier for a valve 37, portions'of which rest upon the flexible ring 35. vA ring 38, securedto the valve by-fastening devices 39, engages the under face of the exible carrier ring and-thus the valve is attached to said car-` rier ring. The valve 37 'is annular in form and encircles the spacing sleeve 29, the inner portion" of said valve being adapted to rest upon the valve seat 28 carried by the head 26 and thus close communication between the syrup chamber of the container 2 and a can 40 disposed below the same,

as presently explained. The valve 37 is maintained normally on its seat by means of a springl the spring. 'I'he valve 37 is provided with a plu-- rality of grooves 45 to permit ready passage of syrup under the lower end of the spring on its way to the exit channels.

'I'he can 4 0 to be filled willbe located upon a platform 46 and a 'guide 47 for the can may be provided on the framework 1 above-the platform. The platform 46 is'provided with a depending I shank 48 which passes freely through an opening in an arm 49 projecting from the framework 1' and the lower end of this shank is preferably beveled or made tapering as at 50 and is engaged by a tapering or beveled cam 51 carried by' a short shaft 52 and in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, this shaft is provided with an operating lever 53. y

In order to prevent any foreign matter entering the can with th syrup .or solid matter leaving the can while the can is under suction, a screen 54.

`may be provided. This screen mayv be soldered or'otherwlse secured to ring 38 and it may be notched as at 55 for the accommodation of the heads of fastening devices-39.

When a can, open at its top and containing solid food, has been placed upon the platform 46, operation of the lever 53 will cause the platform and hence the can to be raised and the open upper end of the can to be pressed against the rubber ring- 35, the latter thusserving as` a pad or seat for the open end of the can as wellas a flexiblecarrier' for the valve 37. 'When the can shall have thus raised and seated at its upper-end will be closed by the action of the spring 41.

against the ring or pad 35 it will surround the ring 38, the latter thus entering the can and being of such thickness as to be approximately equal to Athe space in the can displaced by the cap subsequently applied thereto. The valve 37 being closed, -the can when seated against the ring 35 vwill be closed air-tight against external atmosphere, except through the suction tube 25 when the valve 21 is open. This latter valve is,

however, closed.during the operation of filling 'a can and the can is maintained closed against at this time. Syrup will now flow from the tank 3 to the lower portion of the container 2until the level of the syrup in the tank and container be-y comes approximately as indicated by the line y,

l when the valve 9 may be closed. The lower portion of the container 2 will now contain a quantity of syrup which is somewhat more than suflicient to fill the can. r Y y vThe valve 21 may now be closed and the valve 18 moved from the closed position shown in Figure l to the open position shown 'in Figure 3. The opening of the valve 18 will connect the upper chamber 16 of the container 2 with the vacuum pump or tank, and the said chamber (16) over the syrup in the lower portion of said container, will become exhausted. By reason of the connection of the chamber 16 with the can, through the suctiontube 25, a suction on the can and its contents will be created. The action of this suction will be to raise the can from the platform 46 as shown in Figure 3, and the added pressure of the can against the flexible ring will cause said ring to flex and carry the valve 37 against the resistance of the spring 41, from the closed position shown in Figure 1 to the open position sho'wn in Figure 3; The valve 37 being now open the s yrup may flow from the lower portion of the container 2 to the can. By reason of the suction through the suction tube 25, the can and its contents will be vacuumized before the valve 37 opens, and after the valve opens, there-will still 125 continue a suction through the vacuum tube, which will augment the flow of syrup to the can to completely iill the can with syrup and at the same time exhaust air from the syrup as it flows from the container to the/can. j

During the above described filling operations, the parts will be in the positions shown in Figurel 3, but when saidA filling shall have been completed, the. valves 18 and 21 will be shifted so that the former will be closed and the latter open as shown in Figure 1. The vacuous condition in the chamber 16 of container 2 will now be released and hence the suction through the tube 25 will be discontinued. The lled can will, therefore, drop to the platform and the valve 37 The exhaustion of air from the can and its contents, incuding the syrup, is accomplished by lwhen the latter is applied. The danger of collapsing of the can is therefore greatly reduced but to` feguardagainst possible collapsing of tibetan(im by external atmospheric pressure, it might be found desirable to employ cans reinforced, preferably by two or more beads elle.

I have found that to accomplish the eiiicient filling of the can with liquid, it is important that the bore of the suction tube have a proper capacity as compared to area of the body of syrup in the container, the capacity of the syrup passageways controlled by the valve 37; the degreeof vacuum in the chamber 16 and the capacityvof the can to be lled. It the bore of the suction tube 25 be too small, sufiicient suction would not be had to raise the can and the valve 37 against the resistance of the spring il and hence said valve would not be opened. On the other hand, if the bore of the suction tube be too large, the result would be that while the valve 37 would be opened, the syrup (or a large portion ot it) passing the valve 37 would ilow upwardly through the suction tube and thus return to the body of syrup in the container instead oi.' properly entering the can.

Experience has shown that the capacity ot the suction tube 25 should be less than the capacity of the ports or passages between the syrup container 2 and the can when the valve 37 shall have been opened by the suction through the tube 25 as caused by the vhigh vacuum in the chamber 16. 'Ihe lifting power created by the suction for raising the can on the valve 37 will be controlled by the size of the bore ot the tube 25. It a twenty-nine inch vacuum be maintained in the chamber 16 over the syrup in the container 2, the proper suction on the can to raise the valve 37 will be brought about by reducing the suction on the can suillciently'below the suction of the twenty-nine inch vacuum in twenty-nine inch vacuum. constant during the filling operation, air contained in the syrup will, to a great extent, be withdrawn, so that the degree of vacuum in the filled can will be very high (approximately 26 or 27 inches) as compared to the degree oi vacuum obtained in cans lled by previous methods in which approximately onehalf of the'degree of the original vacuum empioyed, was lost on account of the entrance of air into the can with the syrup.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

l. The method of vacuum canning which consists in positioning a container to receive a liquid with the exterior of the container exposed to atmospheric pressure and the open end of the container sealed against v the entrance of air and Sil liquid, exhausting 'air from the interior of the container whereby 'the atmospheric pressure moves the can bodily against the sealing medium, to break the'liquid seal and permit the entrance of the liquid into the vacuumized container.

2. The method of vacuum canning which consists in positioning a partially filled container to receive a liquid. with the exterior of the container exposed to atmospheric pressure and the open end of the container sealed against the entrance of air and liquid, exhausting air from the interior of the container whereby the atmospheric pressure moves the can bodily against the sealing medium to break the liquid seal and permit the entrance of the liquid into the vacuumized container, and restraining the withdrawal of solid material from the container during the air exhausting step.

3. A method of syruping cans and vacuumizing the same, which consists in positioning the cans while subject to external atmospheric pressure so as to be capable of receiving the syrup, lifting the cans and thereby sealing the tops of the cans against the entrance of air, removing air from within the cans and thereby lifting the cans further, and thereby giving access of the syrup thereinto, and causing by the exhaust of the air the .iiow of syrup into the cans.

ADO'LPH K. MALMQUIST. 

